I recently dealt with an unfortunate situation where one of my tweets was retweeted with the link replaced by the retweeter, thus implying I was endorsing his site (otherwise known as "retweet hijacking.") You may have read my post (which I have since taken down – read on to find out why.)
My first reaction was one of utter disbelief. How someone could so openly "hijack" a tweet and infer my endorsement without anyone noticing, I don’t know. Maybe it happens more often than I realized; this was my first experience – I’d never heard of it before.
I figured the best way to approach this situation was via DM (direct message), however – long story short – the matter seemed to get out of hand with a barrage of unpleasant DM’s and @ messages from the hijacker directed to me; I then chose to write a blog post about what happened.
I also chose to identify the tweet hijacker by name. This caused further controversy in the Twitterverse; over 60 comments were left on my post and though 90% of my community seemed to support the decision to out the hijacker, 10% didn’t. Fair enough.
My intent in highlighting this incident was to educate others as to some unethical practices going on in Twitter and to rally support in not allowing this kind of behavior.
Could I have achieved my objective without naming names? Yes. Would I have made different choices in retrospect? Possibly. The way I see it is this: Twitter is already an open system; we are all "out" whether we realize it or not.
It transpired that the person tweeting was a hired webmaster – to be the voice of a well-known, reputable company (I’ve since discovered).
A loyal customer got wind of the hijacking situation and alerted the company. The Assistant Vice President and President of the company contacted me directly. I ended up having a pleasant phone conversation with the President tonight. He was very apologetic, courteous and kind. I have a much better understanding for this company, their outreach and normal business practices.
As a gesture of goodwill, I assured the President I would edit my blog post to exclude his company’s name; however, I chose to take the entire post and all comments down instead. I’m grateful to all commenters who took the time to read my post and provide their valuable contribution.
What can we learn from this situation? Here’s what I believe:
- One very important lesson from this scenario is how vital it is to properly assess who is the voice and face of your company.
- Reputations need to be monitored rigorously by everyone from the solopreneur to Fortune 500 companies. (For the best book on managing – and repairing – reputations, see Radically Transparent by Andy Beal and Judy Strauss.)
- When there is a situation to deal with, do so quickly, courteously and effectively.
What are your thoughts? How would you react to someone intentionally hijacking/misrepresenting your tweets… or any message, for that matter? Do you think business best practices transcend all mediums and, if so, how do we uphold those practices in new media?
Your story is a great lesson for all of us out here Mari! Thank you for being so candid and open about it. I sure can understand your reasons for taking the whole original post with comments down, and that goes to your outstanding integrity and your desire to teach the best and most honorable practices out there! I admire you for that and am so proud to be in your mentoring program!
Visit My Twitter PageWe need more Maris out there!
Love and respect,
@kickofftopic
It doesn’t surprise me that you removed the original post after discussing the matter with the company’s Pres/VP. You always treat people fairly and with respect, which is one of the reasons you received the outpouring of support that you did.
It is unfortunate that a respectable company’s reputation was tarnished, if even temporarily, because of the actions of one person who jumped onto the social media playing field, without first knowing the ‘rules of the game’.
If anything, this experience should give other leaders in the social media industry the opportunity to train their clients on what not to do on Twitter.
SharonMcP
Visit My Twitter Page[...] Mari Smith was contacted by the president of the limo company (represented by the webguy who was responsible for this whole mess) and I have been told everything is now worked out. Captain Limos turns out to be a very reputable company and perhaps minus a webguy. For more details read the story over at Mari’s blog. [...]
Mari, I’m glad this got worked out, and it sounds like the limo company is fortunate to have loyal customers who keep an eye on the web. This could have turned out much worse for the company.
As a lesson for any business owner, set up a Google alert and a Twitter alert (using either TweetBeep, or TweetLater) to monitor your brand or any keyword associated with your company’s reputation. Doing so will help you avert a situation like this if a contractor or employee misrepresents your brand.
I’m a Twitter users who thinks it’s OK to have ghost writers, or contracted help to manage the social media aspects of a business. (I have differing opinions regarding personal branding and/or celebrities) but this is a classic example of how quickly things can go wrong if you don’t at least monitor the activity of whomever you have managing your social media (or any other web property for that matter)
In fact, I would recommend businesses use a service such as http://cotweet.com , this will allow multiple people to tweet from the same account. This way there is still transparency associated with Twitter. You can use someone else to manage your Twitter account, and you can set up more than one. Then ‘you’ can jump in at anytime to offer up personal messages from time to time. Your customers will LOVE you for it.
Mari, I commend you on the way you handled this and it appears to have ended on a positive note.
Best wishes … Scott
Scott Procks last blog post..Tweep Of The Day – @michaeldunlop
Visit My Twitter PageThis has been a very instructive event. Just like the Domino’s saga http://mashable.com/2009/04/15/youtube-fired/ and @GaryVee disappointing experience http://garyvaynerchuk.com/post/81529474/how-your-brand-can-be-effected-in-2009-and-its-impact the brand was damaged seemingly unwittingly. Each story highlights the need fo brands to have a Social Media listening capacity. However the less obvious lesson and maybe the big story might be the responsibility we in the ‘We Are The Media’ fold have to do things right.
Anyone with a blog, twitter account, youtube channel or social media presence has the potential to cause millions of dollars worth of damage o a brand. Just as a large percentage of the business world has not yet come to grips with operating in a world that includes Social Media, so too an enormous percentage of the Social Media world has yet to come to grips with the ethical and moral responsibilities that come with the power the hold.
The unfortunate unnamed web master employed by the now unnamed limo company my have been trying to provide for a growing family or support aging parents, most of us will never know. He/She had an idea that might create value for their employer, at some point you would hope that conscience might overcome ambition.
But as we are all prone to stumbling and falling now and then let’s all hope that our triumphs and not our shortfallings make the front page of Digg, et al.
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Visit My Twitter PageHi Mari,
It’s not a surprise for me to discover such practices. As something good is out, there will always be people that will be ready to abuse the system, and Twitter is NOT an exception.
I think I also see a hijacking on my Tweet but didn’t pay too much attention since I’m not a big guru there, and I use Twitter only for communication.
Unfortunately I cannot give you a solution to this, but it said me to see these practices. And this comes from me and I know what I am talking about. I’m fighting now with a serious copyright infringement, as a jack a… stole my home page content. And you guess it, Google didn’t like it and
penalize me seriously.
Valeriu
Visit My Twitter PageHi Mari,
I think you’ve handled the situation appropriately and professionally. When we hire others to be “our voice” we are responsible for what they say and do so points 1 & 2 are vital to all business owners in this regard.
Point 3 speaks to how we would like things to be handled but, as you experienced, not everyone follows that path. I’m a big believer in not letting how others treat me determine how I will treat others. By graciously removing the post and comments following your conversation with the President of the company, I think you’ve enhanced the “educational” experience for all and I’m sure the company is grateful for your compassionate response.
I wish that more people held the view that you don’t have to be dishonest and nasty to get ahead in business. Sadly, this has not been my experience, particularly lately. But, when I come across someone like yourself who is open, honest, service-oriented and sensible it absolutely restores my faith in humanity. Thank you for that!
In similar circumstances I favour confronting the person swiftly and directly in the hope reason, integrity and common sense will prevail. But, when it doesn’t, despite my best efforts, then I will share the truth for the benefit of others.
When bad behaviour is not outed, it’s as much as condoned. All actions have consequences. I take full responsibility for mine and expect others to do likewise.
That’s my 2 cents! Thanks for asking.
Linda M. Lopeke
Visit My Twitter PageThe SMARTSTART Coach
Nice resolution of your personal situation and it’s fantastic that you can share the learnings. While you may debate whether or not you should have named names, you have to realize it is because you did that you were able to achieve this result. The real downside to naming names? Like any other form of “bad press,” it brings even more attention to an entity that has not earned it.
Visit My Twitter PageThank you Mari. As a Virtual Assistant, it is a reminder to ethically represent clients in this and all mediums. A little overzealous on the part of the webmaster. Dare I say I imagine he got his wrists slapped on this one.
Visit My Twitter PageYour comment about the need for managing our reputations is timely, Mari. I am working with John Assaraf, whose name and Twitter ID were hijacked and were being used by someone else. We asked Twitter to investigate, which they did, and John has the use of his name and his Twitter ID back. It took a bit of follow up and persistence but Twitter was very helpful once they determined this was an impostor.
Yet this morning one of his followers alerted us to another impersonation. Someone else using his photo as their avatar and the Twitter ID @succespartner. This individual is promoting “Facebook Money Making Mentors”,”Internet Entrepreneur Club” and something called “The Twitter Trick” and has 857 people following him right now. We have notified @succespartner that we are reporting the ID to Twitter and have Tweeted about the situation to John’s followers from his @OneCoach and @JohnAssaraf Twitter accounts (which really are his). We have submitted a request for an investigation to Twitter. John’s followers are retweeting his message vigorously. I am sure that this situation will be resolved but I feel for the people who have tricked into following an impostor and who have purchased products because they beleived the products were being endorsed by someone they admire and respect.
John’s situation provides another illustration of the importance of monitoring your reputation and responding quickly. It is important to know what is being said about you or your business so that you can take fast and appropriate action–what ever that is.
Finally, hijacking links and Tweets and impersonating others is wrong. Simply put but clearly stated.
Visit My Twitter PageNice follow up, Mari. Not sure I would have taken the original post down, though I understand why you did it. There are lessons to be learned here for all who are using the web and social sites. Without naming names, the company in questions may not have learned of the “unethical” practices of their hired webmaster. This way they learned a good lesson and your fans, followers and readers have too.
Visit My Twitter PageThanks Mari. This is nice.
Visit My Twitter PageNice post, Mari. I especially appreciated the concept that we’re all “out” all the time now, whether we know it/like it or not. This is still new to some, and the more people like you reinforce it, the better the Internet is for everyone.
Visit My Twitter PageMari, you always impress. Thank you for sharing your story with us and offering genuinely positive advise for how to behave and deal with the open social media environment. You have educated us all.
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Visit My Twitter PageWow great story. I just assumed, like most of us probably did, that the tweeter = the limo company.
So now we need an uber-twitter service so we can discuss who’s really behind the tweets – oh but that’s already here in the form of blogs
Visit My Twitter PageWow Mari –
You can bet I’m going to read Radically Transparent and check the retweets attributed to me after your adventure! It’s so easy to twist another’s words in the online world… and so unfair. Thanks for the wake-up call. You did the right thing.
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Visit My Twitter PageGreat job Mari! Great job company President? Our relationships come into clear focus on Twitter and in all the places of our social media world. Who we are (and who our company is) is now reflected in ways and places that never before existed. What happened is far less important than how well we dealt with it. What a good moment for everyone involved.
Thanks
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Visit My Twitter PageI am such a trusting soul and love it when someone retweets, I’ll now be looking more closely at who is retweeting.
You are such a great educator
in gratitude
Suzie
Visit My Twitter PageMary,
While it sounds like you tried to make all parties happy (something that is just not always possible). I disagree with your choice to take down the original blog post. I now have no frame of reference for the real story as I came into this too late.
Removing your original post make YOU un-transparent actually. You might have been better served to put in BOLD: UPDATE: on the original post as this is common practice as a story evolves.
Outing the hijacker was the right step for exposing behavior that you found offensive on twitter.
Just my 2 cents. Cheers!
Visit My Twitter PageHi Mari-
First, good for you for not taking the inital Retweet Hijack sitting down. It always amazes me when I see people behaving in a way that suggests that they have little or no professional integrity. Really, is it any different than plagiarizing an author’s work?
I suppose the real lesson here is for companies who have employees or contractors updating their social media streams – it’s really incubant upon the business to check on the integrity of the “work” that goes out under their company name, isn’t it.
Great story and great lessons – thanks for posting this.
Visit My Twitter PageMari,
I’m glad to hear it all turned out OK. There are always a few bad apples in the bunch. Unfortunately questionable ethics have been around forever, and probably will be. It sounds like you handled the situation well. I remember just a couple of months ago there were dozens of impostors popping up using a modified Twitter ID of yours and your photo. There will always be those trying to make a fast buck off of those who have worked hard to get where they are.
Visit My Twitter PageMari-
I appreciate your transparency on this post. I think you did the right thing and I am glad the President took the initiative to reach out to you.
Do you now recommend putting your Twitter status on private because of this experience?
Visit My Twitter PageOK…Can I just elaborate bit right now? Removing posts under fire is NEVER the RIGHT thing to do if the FACTS are correct.
Again: I really can’t fully appreciate what happened here because you REMOVED the post. Was he a potential client so you caved? Did he pay you to remove the post? Was legal action threatened? … seriously my mind can only guess since you removed the point of reference in the conversation.
So much for your transparency…
The removal of the post only adds to the lack of transparency. Additionally; as a frequent blog commenter on blog posts; removal of a post blows away the comments and all of the energy, effort and thought that went into your readers contributing their thoughts. You did them a huge disservice by silencing them as a side effect of removing the blog post.
A word to wise. Get some thick skin Mary and let it roll off your back and NEVER remove a blog post again. I mean this in the most positive way. If you can’t handle the heat; quit blogging.
Cheers!
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Visit My Twitter PageWow, where do I begin? I’ve been in my fair share of battles online.
I was in a situation where I wrote a very angry blog post about the excuses that a trade magazine gave for not including more female writers.
I received alot of comments on that post – 50% supported my viewpoint, the other 50% did not.
Then I went to sleep. The next morning, I re-read my blog post and it was TOTALLY out of character. It was more negative than usual and I was absolutely embarrassed by what I wrote.
So I removed the post and followed up with another blog post explaining why.
To Rodney, on the one hand I agree with you that Mary should’ve kept the post up. Maybe just close the comments. Put a strikethrough through the comments that are no longer valid.
On the other, if Mari felt like I where her post was written out of hurt and anger and the tone was completely out of character for the bubbly Mari, then removing it is her decision. I don’t think she lacks transparency because she removed a post off HER blog. If she changed the blog post altogether, then that’s dishonest. But to remove it? Naw, I can’t see how that’s a lack of integrity.
Here’s the post explaining my situation from 2006:
http://www.marketingfit.com/the-ugliness-of-pride-in-blogging/
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Visit My Twitter PageWhoops, in the 3rd to last paragraph, I meant to say:
To Rodney, on the one hand I agree with you that Mari (I misspelled her name) should’ve kept the post up. Maybe just close the comments. Put a strikethrough through the areas of her blog content (not the comments) that are no longer valid.
Leesa Barness last blog post..3 Ways to Handle Content Theft Online Without Getting a Lawyer Involved
Visit My Twitter PageMari:
Great post, and food for thought for those companies looking to establish a social media presence where none existed before.
Common sense and ethical behavior still hold true with these “new tools” – a different platform doesn’t mean that everything we’ve learned goes out the window. Give credit where credit is due.
Visit My Twitter Page[...] Mari Smith was contacted by the president of the limo company (represented by the webguy who was responsible for this whole mess) and I have been told everything is now worked out. Captain Limos turns out to be a very reputable company and perhaps minus a webguy. For more details read the story over at Mari’s blog. [...]
Thank you Mari for sharing this very important message.
Visit My Twitter PageI agree with a couple of the other commenters, I wouldn’t have taken the post down. But I would have added an update to the top of the page.
Doug
Doug McIsaacs last blog post..Google Friend Connect is Changing Social Media Marketing
Visit My Twitter PageMari, always so gracious. Not sure I would have taken down the original post, but would have taken out the names. Seems bad form that you had to go to the top of a company because of an over zealous highjacker. I do hope is out of a client and that he will learn from this.
Visit My Twitter PageMari, I think yo have handled this quite well. That is horrible that people would be doing such harsh things to someone so helpful as you.
Visit My Twitter PageMair, kudos to you! I certainly understand and fully support your action, knowing that I would probably have reacted in a like fashion. You did try to deal with the situation privately through DM, but obviously the culprit did not have the sense to redeem himself in private. I’m happy that the company showed professional etiquette and made things right! No professional entity desires that kind of publicity, especially it is without their sanction. I probably would have left the initial blog posted minus the company’s name. As for the culprit I’d have left his/her name out there so the social community is made aware of his/her identity. I have noticed that nowhere did you mention an apology or any showing of remorse by him/her. This says plenty!
Visit My Twitter Page[...] Her original Tweet endorsed a site as a great option for a Mother’s Day gift.This person retweeted her… then replaced the link she intended with HIS link for HIS company. (Actually the company he works for… it’s total drama, but Mari explains the whole ordeal and how it had an amicable ending on her…). [...]
Mari, one, it was a pleasure to meet you face to face this past weekend at Terry Wygal’s The BluePrint2. You were great! Your presentation was so informative it had everyone’s head spinning, (which I think is a good thing, shakes things up) that is usually what it takes for folks to take action, is someone who willing to shake things up a bit!
You spoke about this situation and I love you and am disappointed you took the original post down. I do not believe it hurts the company at all for their name to be out there as there was a BIG mistake!
This same company is now missing the blessing and icing on this opportunity by showing up in a way that allows for them to show to everyone they took creative and positive action. The Vice President is to be commended by taking proactive approach and that alone for me gives me room to appreciate and respect the company even more. So now they have lost an opportunity for good PR, giggle.
I agree with Leesa Barnes that there is no lack of transparency when you make a decision concerning your own blog, it is yours and you do what YOU think is best. We are all human and I am reminded often, one of your badges of success is when you are on the top is you make an easy target for arrows. Does it feel good, NO we are human.
It does give everyone an opportunity to remember we have a responsibility to call out others when we feel there has been an injustice or a lack of ethics. Funny thing in life, we all have different definitions to the same words from our individual experiences and beliefs. So, be prepared to back up your calling out, it is just not you or your “group of friends” perspective.
Mari has always shown judicious and classic judegement and she rates in my book.
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Visit My Twitter PageHi Mari,
What I like most about this is how you say “we’re already out there.” I’m reminded of the woman offered a job by Cisco and tweeting about making a decision between a fatty paycheck and hating her job. I’m always amazed at how many people “forget” that the whole point of social networking is to be visible, hence everything you do is out there.
I too am not sure I would have taken down the original blog post, although I understand why you did it. And I’m also wondering why 10% were so against you naming names. The truth of the matter is anyone could have found that name with a few minutes of searching, so what does it matter if you put it in your blog post or not?
Good post Mari, as always. Thanks for using your lessons as learning examples for the rest of us.
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Visit My Twitter PageYou dealt with the situation fantastically Mari and it really highlights that we all need to be careful about who represents our company and ultimately our business and personal values. As a solopreneur it will make me think who I joint venture with and maybe not everyone out there is as honest as we would want!
Visit My Twitter PageThanks for all the value you add to twitter and facebook!
So glad that I came across this blog post, Mari.
Thanks for taking the time to delve into this highly charged topic so that we can all learn from it.
Recently, while searching in twitter, I found an exact quote from my tweets with absolutely no attribution back to me.
I wasn’t too pleased with it, but realize that the tweeter may not be familiar with re-tweetiquette, just yet.
So, I simply sent him a thank you note as an RT. I felt like this was a way to let him know, if he doesn’t already, that there is a standard protocol for re-posting items and that others, including me, could see that I had posted that original message.
This truly is an important topic…and I’m sure will only get more important as people continue to find new and interesting ways to use the twitterverse.
I am going to assume that, just like napster and myspace and other sites, twitter will eventually need to become more proactive about dealing with plagiarism and pirating in the twitter stream.
Maybe someone will (or already has) create a new app that scans the twitterverse for plagiarism and piracy and helps to yank it out of the twitter stream.
Again, thanks for this awesome discussion.
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Visit My Twitter PageMari thank you for your post.
Visit My Twitter PageI think I have a simular situation. I have a group of people, using the same web address, that are poating on my updates. These updates are going out to my followers and not only confusing them but are making them very unhappy.
I call them spammers, they are using my Twitter account to annoy my followers. I have tried to block these people but have not had any luck doing so. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thank you